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Aloe
Associated with the moon and with water, aloe is useful for guarding against evil influences and household accidents. It is often found on gravesites, as it is believed to help promote a peaceful existence until the deceased enters their next cycle of life.
In Africa, practitioners of magic use aloe to bring good luck and do drive away evil. Burning it on the night of the full moon is said to bring a new lover by the new moon.
Because of its association with the moon, aloe is often used in spells and rituals related to the moon and lunar cycles, such as dreams, family, fertility, gardening, healing, and sleep. Aloe sap applied to the third eye can enhance meditation and expand awareness.
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Angelica
Once used in many Pagan festivals, angelica is now often referred to as the "angel herb." Angelica is symbolically masculine, associated with the sun and with fire. It promotes well-being and enhances the aura. A potent blood purifier, angelica was once believed to be a cure for the plague.
Angelica is most commonly used to create barriers against negative energy, including hexes and curses, for purifying the home and blessing newborn babies.
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Amaranth
Amaranth is useful for healing and protection, and is often one of the required materials for burial rituals. A symbol of Artemis, goddess of the moon and the hunt, this bright red flower is also used as a symbol for fire and the feminine in many mystical workings, not the least of which are spells to mend a broken heart.
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Apple
Apples are often used when dealing with matters of the heart, and apple blossoms are symbolic of love, healing and immortality. The apple is representative of the feminine, both the sun and the moon, and reminds us of those who came before. It is this ability to connect us to the past that makes the apple so important not only in remembering the dead, but in the forging of new relationships.
Regardless of variety, apples are renown for their healing qualities, and powders obtained from the bark, seeds, and dried fruit are all useful in the healing craft.
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Banana
Though some may find it strange, the banana is nevertheless a symbol of the feminine. It is also known to be a powerful antidote for impotency. A symbol of Venus and of water, its leaves, flowers, and fruit are all used to increase fertility, prosperity, and wealth.
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Bay Laurel
Bay Laurel is associated with honor and glory. Kings, heroes, athletes, poets, and other great men and women were crowned with it to signify their greatness and triumph in both ancient Greece and Rome. Laurel wreaths were worn for their protective properties, and were believed to prevent lightening strikes. Doctors also wore laurel as it was considered helpful in curing nearly every ailment.
Its spicy fragrance, and association with the sun makes it appropriate for any festival of the sun. Bay leaves can be used to prepare a space, object, or person any ritual working, and bay leaves added to a spell or potion can to enhance psychic ability.
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Belladonna
Known by many names: banewort, witch’s berry, sorcerer's berry, deadly nightshade, death's herb, and devil's cherries, belladonna is a highly toxic plant. In the proper doses, the herb can be used to encourage astral projection or to produce visions, though it is best to be avoided. As every part of the plant is extremely poisonous, neither leaves, berries, nor root should be handled if there are any cuts or abrasions on the hands.
This herb is associated with Saturn and with water, and is representative of the feminine. It is used in funeral rites in order to help the deceased let go and move forward, and despite its toxic character, it can be used successfully as a sedative, though dogs and cats are especially susceptible to the poison.
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Betony
Betony is often required in rituals of protection, purification and love. Placed under the pillow, it is known to prevent the sleeper from having bad dreams. Well known for its shielding powers against dark and negative energy, betony has long been used to counteract sorcery, and is often planted in graveyards to prevent the activities of ghosts.
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Bloodroot
The root of this plant draws love and averts negativity. Those looking for romance can place a bloodroot on their bedside table with a rose quartz and two red candles, and love will surely follow!
Bloodroot leaves and flowers are often used for protection, especially against threats to those you love, however caution must be urged when utilizing this herb, lest accidentally draws unwanted attention.
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Chrysanthemum
In many Asian traditions, the chrysanthemum has long been associated with death. Though many believe it has the power to lengthen life, it is often used in rituals for death and dying.
The pure white blossom of the chrysanthemum is a symbol of purity, and is often used in spells of protection and mental well-being. It has healing properties for drunkenness and is associated with endurance and integrity.
The chrysanthemum is representative of the masculine, and is useful as a symbol for the sun and for fire.
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Dandelion
An herb of the air element, dandelion is particularly useful for divination and the summoning of spirits. Often associated with the underworld and necromancy, dandelion is required in many rituals for communicating with the dead, increasing psychic ability, and for walking between realms.
Dried dandelion root brewed into a tea can bring about true dreaming and enhance the gift of second sight, and even children understand this herb’s ability to make wishes come true.
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Dittany
Said to symbolize love, and to be an aphrodisiac, only the most ardent young lovers would risk the steep mountainsides and the deep gorges of Crete to gather bunches of these pink flowers to present as tokens to their lovers.
Dittany has a number of uses, from treating stomachaches and open wounds, to problems with menstruation. It is even said that the herb can enhance one’s ability to perform astral projection, separating the consciousness from the body. The herb is also useful in love potions, for divination, and contact with spirits, though care must be taken when using it in incense, as spirits have been known to materialize in the smoke.
Less well known are dittany’s properties as an etheric condenser. Dittany can be used to provide sufficient ether to allow for the construction of a physical body for spirits summoned via rites of evocation.
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Dogwood
Dogwood is an essential component for secret writings and communications, and oil of dogwood flower is often used to seal letters.
The dogwood is associated with the moon and it is said that dogwood sap placed on a handkerchief on Midsummer Eve will grant you any wish as long as you carry it faithfully.
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Elder
Sacred to the Mother Goddess, elder branches hung over the doorways and windows will remove evil from the home. Elder growing near the home will bring prosperity, and elder berries carried on the person will protect from negativity. As beneficial as it is to always have elder around, care must be taken when handling it, as it is extremely unlucky to burn the wood of the elder. If even the smallest of shavings were to pass through the flame of a candle, all of the previous work of the day could be undone, rending potions useless and removing the effects of spells and wards.
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Hawthorne
Cultivating hawthorne on your property will ensure that evil spirits will be unable to enter. It will also repel ghosts, lightning, and damage from storms. Beyond these protective properties, hawthorne has been known to attract spirits of a benevolent nature. Those seeking a safe yet stimulating encounter with the beings who inhabit the spirit realm would be wise to keep hawthorne on hand.
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Ginseng
Ginseng root is fleshy and forked, and often grows in the figure of a man. We can infer from this many uses beneficial to the human body, including increased strength, vigor and virility. The more closely the root resembles a man, the more potent it is, and thus, those that look most like men fetch the highest prices. Do not be duped by roots that are presented as the real thing, yet are not. Ginseng is required in a great many medicines used for healing, invigoration and, as some women will profess discretely adding this herb in their husbands' food and drink, increasing performance in the bedchamber! Without the true root, these ministrations will fail.
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Lavender
A plant long used by the magic community, lavender’s magical properties include clairvoyance, cleansing, consecration, happiness, healing, love, protection, purification, blessings, divination, dreams, harmony, sleep, and stability. It is commonly associated with the element of air.
Lavender in the home brings peace, joy and tranquility, and it is an excellent herb for meditation. Lavender can also heighten your psychic senses, and is beneficial for those suffering from nightmares.
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Lily of the Valley
Though it should never be ingested, lily of the valley is nevertheless a power herb to help increase mental prowess. An herb of the air element, its ritual signatures include happiness, memory, healing, tranquility, and purity. It can also be used in workings to prevent harassment.
Essence of lily of the valley can foster an innocent childlike sense of inner knowing, and help someone make decisions with an uncomplicated instinctual knowledge of what is correct and for their highest good.
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Mandrake
Associated with the planet Mercury and with the earth element, mandrake is a potent herb for increasing fertility and is highly valued as an aphrodisiac. Mandrake also possesses well-documented narcotic properties and can be used as an anesthetic, however care must be taken that a mandrake induced sleep does not become a permanent one.
There is much folklore surrounding this herb. It is said that the root of the mandrake shrieks horribly when pulled from the ground, and anyone who hears the sound will die. It is also fabled to grow under the gallows of murderers. Neither of these assertions are true.
The magical signatures of this plant are many, and include protection, love, prosperity, and health. In order to activate a dried mandrake, one must place the root on an altar undisturbed for three days, then place it in warm water overnight. The root will then be activated and ready for any magical purpose.
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Mugwort
An herb closely linked to the earth element, mugwort has long been used to drive out demons and to offer protection against possession by evil spirits. In earlier times, when travel was often done on foot, mugwort was carried to ward against wild beasts, poison, and stroke. Its mystical uses are many. Strategically placed throughout the home, it will prevent evil from entering, and is said to cure madness and aid in astral projection. Rubbing the plant over ritual tools will increase their powers, particularly tools for divination.
The ritual signatures for mugwort are as follows: strength, precognition, protection, dreams, divination, fertility, and healing. Mugwort has long been used to promote vivid, lucid, and prophetic dreams, however, it must be noted that vivid dreams can sometimes lead to nightmares.
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Pomegranate
The mystical properties of the pomegranate are as numerous as the seeds that lie hidden beneath its crimson rind. Used to bring luck, attract wealth, and foster love and creativity, the pomegranate is seen as a symbol of fertility and prosperity in almost every culture that is familiar with it.
It is a symbol of life and death, fire and strength, wisdom and ambition, and is often used in both weddings and funerals. It is a symbol for Saturn and masculinity, and is often used as a stand-in for blood. And, for those with the proper training and skill, the pomegranate is a useful fruit for the art of divination.
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Rosemary
An herb associated with the Sun and with fire, rosemary acts as a memory aid and can help with learning. It is because of this benefit to memory that rosemary is often included in workings for love, friendship and remembrance. As a protective and purifying herb, it can be used to ward against demons and bad dreams.
The scent of rosemary is said to help with one’s spirit, providing for a youthful outlook, and pleasant memories, and it is said that a rosemary sprig burned in a candle’s flame can warm a cold heart.
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Sage
Perhaps the most quintessential of magical plants, no witch’s garden is complete without this soft and fragrant herb. A necessary component in rituals of purification, sage is also useful in workings for longevity, wisdom, protection, and, if the rumors are true, immortality.
It is said that a wish can be written on a leaf of sage and tucked underneath your pillow. If you dream of your wish during the next three consecutive nights, your wish will come true.
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Willow
Throughout the world, willow trees have long been revered for their mystical attributes. Willow is often included in potions for love and healing, but it is perhaps best known for its use in divination and protection. Willow is useful for warding against evil spirits, as well as demons.
Because the willow is water-seeking, it has long been associated with the moon and with lunar cycles. Thus, the willow is considered to have feminine attributes, and is often used in female rites of passage. Willow can be used to enhance creativity, fertility, and any rituals that are influenced by the moon.